Rock me, Salieri

Some theaters in the Mainland - and apparently, none in Hawaii - are now showing the director's cut of Amadeus. As with every other reissue, the elements are there: brand-new print, digitally remastered soundtrack, additional scenes deleted from original release.

Personally, I thought the movie itself was plenty rich and fabulous in its original form (and I had already watched it COUNTLESS times on otherwise murky VHS) but it's interesting to know what Milos Forman has done to this baby.

Fun fact: Did you know that Ian McKellen originated Salieri in the original stage version? Some critics felt that he would've been the most obvious - and maybe even perfect - choice for the movie, but apparently Forman wouldn't take any of Sir Ian's, ahem, diva behavior (there's a few interpretations of that story going around) and cast F. Murray Abraham instead. Not that I would've wanted the movie any other way, though.

Comments

Oh, man!

All these new versions of my favorite movies. Apparently the new Usual Suspects has a few deleted scenes, too, which I just have to see or die, and Say Anything... just now came out on DVD too.

I love Amadeus. May not be altogether historically accurate, but Tom Hulce (whatever happened to him?) just cracks me up in this movie. Such a funny little weasel man.

WHAT?? The Usual Suspects has a director's cut, too??? Aiyah, now I gotta save up for a DVD player, or at least a new CPU tower with a DVD drive. ;) I've heard nothing but rave reviews for the Say Anything... DVD, too. I read this one interview Cameron Crowe once did for Entertainment Weekly about how he shot that scene with Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and the boombox... let's just say that, had things turned out differently, "In Your Eyes" would never have been in that movie. Yeeks.

Another Amadeus-related rumor I heard was that Tom Hulce ended up in a mental hospital after finishing the movie, apparently due to excess Method-acting technique (ie. he turned into Mozart). I don't think that's true, though, or at least I hope it's not. I've seen him in a couple of movies after that, and I even had a crush on him when I saw him in Parenthood before I found out he was in Amadeus. (He, too, played another funny little weasel man in that one - the other weasel, if you count Keanu Reeves.)

Wonder if he'll turn up for the commentary track when the Director's Cut comes out on DVD?

I thought F. Murray Abraham was wonderful as Salieri, and after seeing that movie a few times, I couldn't picture anyone else in the role. However, with the mention of Ian McKellen's name, I think I'll take that back...:)

Well, this is the first time I'm posting a comment here. I've lurked in here since first stumbling in a week or so ago. The mention of Amadeus finally gave me the nerve to post...I love that movie!

I also wanted to add: Anyone else in Hawaii noticed that KPOI sampled that movie for their promos? I thought that was kind of strange...

Terri, the site's only been up for 2 weeks...it ain't like it's a closed shop! Drop on by often!

Welcome to the site, Terri! As much as I love Sir Ian - diva moments and all - I thought F. Murray Abraham did such a good job with Salieri for that movie that I could never imagine anyone else for the role, either... even after watching the movie on VHS with an obnoxious friend who kept booing Salieri.

I never really listen to KPOI, so I don't know which parts of the movie they've sampled. But, damn, that priceless dialogue...

Thanks everyone!

Stella, why did your friend boo Salieri? I totally felt for the guy. As a character in this movie, he was really unforgettable for me.

Anyway, I hope the director's cut of the movie will be available here in Hawaii someday soon, whether it be in the theatres or on DVD.

Well, needless to say, Amadeus was part of the reason why I'm not friends with her any more! She was the one who wanted to watch it, but all through the movie she kept making mean, snide comments like, "Shut up, a-hole, that's why you're not famous!" whenever the voice-over narrations would come on. (She would totally hate the Director's Cut, I'm sure, since some of the deleted scenes were of Salieri talking to God.) For crying out loud, the story itself wouldn't exist without Salieri. You may not agree with everything he's ever done (at least in the context of the screenplay - again, historical inaccuracies notwithstanding) you really can't help but feel for the guy in the end, especially when Mozart gets sick.

Of course, this gets into the deeper discussion of fame vs. talent that drives the story itself, too. (And, after all the radio/music rants I've posted this week, I'll try not to read into that line about how "mediocrity is everywhere.") I mean, yeah, Mozart may have been the more celebrated talent of the two, but that doesn't make Salieri's own work even less important in the greater context, does it?

In the meantime, the IMDb link is here and the quotes are here.

OK, my bad with the above links - the Amadeus quotes on IMDb are here.

Just thought I'd share one block:

Antonio Salieri: Mozart, it was good of you to come!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: How could I not?
Antonio Salieri: So, did my work please you?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: I never knew that music like that was possible!
Antonio Salieri: [Uncertain.] You flatter me.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: No, no! One hears such sounds, and what can one say but... "Salieri."

Never watch Amadeus when I'm in the room. I've watched it so many times, I can pretty much anticipate the dialogue.

And then ... a madness came upon me ... the image of the man ... splitting in half

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